Selfcongratulatory, but he asked ben carson to read a prayer. Reporter thats right. That was certainly an unusual moment, and andrea, there have been a number of unusual moments in these Cabinet Meetings. Youll remember the first one when the president went around the table and had all his cabinet secretaries effectively thank him for the job that he was doing. In this meeting, though, in addition to that prayer that you just talked about, the president touted the fact that this is going to be the biggest tax cut, he is hailing it, in history. The president also praising his cabinet for all of their work. A number of successes he has said occurred in his first year in office. And he also talked a little about Foreign Policy. The fact that nikki haley having some stern words at the u. N. Effectively taking numbers and names of those who break with the u. S. At a time when the United StatesPresident Trump has said is funding a lot of the efforts abroad. Make no mistake, andrea, the focus right now is on this historic tax cut that is going to happen, that is passing soon on the house floor, we anticipate. And that the Senate Passed overnight. This is the president s first major legislative victory and he is going to take a victory lap at the white house here later today with all of the republican senators and members of congress who will be here to help him take that victory lap, andrea. And one of the things, of course, were going to be drilling down on are the details of this tax package passed in haste, but a big victory for the president. But the deficit implications and the implications of the unpopularity of it, they are now going to try to sell it, as you well know, kristen, and try to persuade people it really will help the middle class and not just the corporations and the wealthy. The they have a lot of work ahead of them because it is at low popularity. Lets go to the president and hear what he has to say. I appreciate everybody being in the Cabinet Meeting, and this looks like it will probably be our last Cabinet Meeting until the new year, but who knows. You never know what happens with Cabinet Meetings. We have had some really great and productive ones, and this will be one of celebration because of what took place last night. We had a historic victory for the American People. It will go through final passage today in the house. Then the congressmen and women and the senate will be coming over, the republican senate. Unfortunately, the democrats dont like to see tax cutting, they like to see tax increases. And they like to complain if they dont get it done, unfortunately, but they complain a lot. Were going to have the republican senators come over, were going to have the Republican House come over, and were going to have a News Conference and people are starting to see how great this historic victory was. The passage of the massive tax cuts and reform, a lot of reform in there, but the tax cuts precede it. I specifically use the words tax cuts. Before they tried to pass it and havent and they used the word reform. There is reform, but were going to be talking about tax cuts. The heart of the bill is an immense relief for the middle class including a doubling of the Child Tax Credit and a near doubling of the tax deduction. Theyll start seeing the results in february. This bill means more takehome pay. It will be an Incredible Christmas gift for hardworking americans. I said i wanted to have it done before christmas. We got it done. I want to thank all the leaders. I want to thank Mitch Mcconnell, i want to thank paul ryan, and so many other people, and well go through the official ceremony in a little while when they come over to the white house. But youve had we have a tremendous amount of talent in the house, a tremendous amount of talent in the senate, i can tell you that. And they love this country. The bill also includes a new family tax credit for dependents. It makes the vast majority of family farms and Small Businesses exempt from the estate tax. The state tax was killing the farmers. They were forced to sell farms at Bargain Basement prices. They dont have to do that anymore. It brings overseas corporate profits back to the United States. Our plan also lowers the tax on American Business from 35 all the way down to 21 . Thats probably the biggest factor in this plan. Weve become competitive all over the world. Our Companies Wont be leaving our country any longer because our tax burden is so high, because now were down toward the lower end of the spectrum as opposed to being the highest. We were the highest. And its really, above all else its a jobs bill because these corporations that are already coming into the country, but theyre going to start pouring into the country. Its about jobs, and theyre going to build some really Great Companies and a lot of jobs. Weve already created over 2 million jobs since the election. The stock market, as you see, its at an alltime high yet again. I think thats 86 times since i got elected at an alltime high. Unemployment is at a 17year low. Weve liberated the American Economy from washington overreach, cutting 22 regulations for every one new regulation, the most in history by far. Weve cut hundreds and hundreds of regulations allowing people to have their businesses, work their businesses and hire people. And we still have plenty of regulation, dont worry. We have plenty of regulation. Regulation is not the worst thing. But overregulation was stifling in our country. You couldnt do anything. Weve unleashed u. S. Military might on isis, and today the coalition to defeat isis has rec recaptured nearly 100 of the territory once held by the terrorists in iraq and syria. Were close to 100 . Well be finished pretty soon with the isis situation in those two countries. Were making it very difficult for them to come here, believe me. Were fighting it very hard, Homeland Security and our great military. Were restoring Immigration Enforcement at levels that our country has never seen before and taking the fight to the criminal gangs like ms13 where were decimating those animals. Theyre animals. What they do is horrible. Horrible. And were making the immigration system work for americans, but were cleaning out towns of those ms13 gangsters. Thats why were calling on congress to fund the border wall, which were getting very close to. Were working on that. We have a great wall. We put up, as you know, six different varieties of wall. We want to be able to see through. We have a lot of help from the Border Patrol and from the ice agents. Were getting their input on the wall because who knows better than them . But we want vision, we want to be able to see through, who is on the other side of the wall, and we have some wonderful prototypes that have been put up, and i may be going there very shortly to look at them in their final form. And well be building the wall and well be doing lots of other things. We will, very importantly, be funding and closing the loopholes that undermine our enforcement, and we will get rid of chain migration and the visa Lottery Program. We had the Lottery Program where we take in a lottery people from other countries. In some places we are bringing in some very bad, bad people. Through chain migration and through the lottery, the man that ran over people on the west side highway in manhattan a month ago, two months ago, he came in through the visa lottery. We dont want this group of people anymore. People met him in the neighborhood and they all said he was horrible, nasty, mean. Wouldnt talk to people. They could see it coming. They could actually see it coming. When they went back to his area where he lived, they could see it coming. They said, whats he doing here . When we take people in a lottery, theyre not putting their best people in the lottery. Its common sense. Theyre not saying, oh, lets take our best people and lets put them into the lottery so we can send them over to the United States. No. They put their worst people into the lottery. And thats what we get in many cases. So thats not going to be happening anymore. Were going to end it. Were ending the lottery, were ending the chain migration where, in his case, they said he might have had up to 24 people come in with him indirectly. Aunts, uncles, cousins, grandfathe grandfathers, grand mothemother. They come in because one guy gets in and they bring the whole family. Not a lot of jobs, either. Let me tell you. Not a lot of working jobs. Were rebuilding our nation, were rebuilding our confidence, and were standing in the world as a different country. Well be respected again. Today the entire world can see that america is coming back and america is coming back rapidly and strongly. They see that with whats going on economically. This is even before the tax cuts have been approved. I have to say that a lot of people thought the tax cuts have been approved. I heard a couple of our folks, steve and gary and a few others this morning, and theyre thinking that the market hasnt fully digested what theyve got here. I dont think the market has even begun to realize how good these are, for instance, full expensing and other things. We have things in there that are so incredible. One of the great things is bringing back perhaps 4 trillion back into our country. 4 trillion. Money that we couldnt get back because of our tax code and because of regulation. We were unable to. That money can now flow back into our country and produce jobs and go into our companies where they want to spend it. They want to spend the money here. They werent allowed to. Americans are filled with excitement for the future, optimism like they havent seen. Youve seen all the charts. And enthusiasm for the incredible possibilities that lie ahead for our country. At this wonderful time, its a blessed season. We have a blessed country. Were renewing our bonds of loyalty to each other and to this nation. This nation is a nation with tremendous spirit again. You see that. Housing confidence is the highest its been in many years, just came out. Manufacturing the highest level of confidence theyve had since they started doing it many years ago. And business has the highest level of confidence. So were doing a lot of things. So well be meeting again, the cabinet will be meeting again shortly, but we have done a job like no administration has done. When we get the final passage, and were waiting for the final passage. As you know, we do have to go through one more vote in the house, and thats being done virtually as we speak. So when thats done, you add all of that to what weve done in terms of regulatory, in terms of military. As you know, were going 700 billion for military. Were rebuilding our military. We cannot have a weak military in this time and age. Were rebuilding our military. But when you add it all up together, and then you add two things, the individual mandate is being repealed. When the individual mandate is being repealed, that means obamacare is being repealed because they get their money from the individual mandate. So the individual mandate is being repealed. So in this bill, not only do we have massive tax cuts and tax reform, we have essentially repealed obamacare and well come up with something that will be much better, whether its block grants or whether its taking what we have and doing something terrific. But obamacare has been repealed in this bill. We didnt want to bring it up. I tell people specifically, be quiet with the Fake News Media because i dont want them talking too much about it, because i didnt know how people but now that its approved, i can say the individual mandate on health care where you had to pay not to have insurance, okay, think of that one. You pay not to have insurance. The individual mandate has been repealed. The other one is enwar. My friend in the oil business, i cant believe it, enwar, theyve been trying to get it for 40 years. Were going to try building in enwar the Largest Oil Field in the world. That in itself will be a massive bill. It will be one of our biggest oil reserves. Its one of the biggest in the world. Puts us at a level that were not even at now, and were doing very well in terms of, as you know, energy. But anwar by itself would be a big bill. Thats when it hit me. They said, theyve been trying to get that, the bushes, everybody, all the way back to reagan. Reagan tried to get it, bush tried to get it. Everybody tried to get it. They couldnt get it passed. That just happens to be here. And we did that at the request of the two great senators from the state of alaska, which is a very special place, but i will tell you anwar is a big, big deal. Its not ever mentioned by the press and that was fine until now. Now you can mention it. So were going to have Tremendous Energy coming out of that part of the world, and people have wanted to do it for 40 years. So with that im going to ask ben carson, you can stay if you want because you need the prayer more than i do, i think. Maybe a good, solid prayer, ben, so well ask you to say grace. Thank you. Our kind father in heaven, were so thankful for the opportunities and the freedom that youve granted us in this country. We thank you for a president and for cabinet members who are courageous, who are willing to face the winds of controversy in order to provide a Better Future for those who come behind us. Were thankful for the unity in congress that have presented an opportunity for our economy to expand so that we can fight the corrosive debt that has been destroying our future. And we hope that that unity will spread even beyond party lines so that people recognize that we have a nation that is worth saving. And recognize that nations divided against themselves cannot stand. In this time of discord, distrust and dishonesty, we ask that you would give us the spirit of gratitude, compassion and common sense. And give us the wisdom to be able to guide this great nation in the future. We ask in the name of the son, the father and the holy spirit, amen. Thank you, ben. Thank you very much. Mike, would you like to say a few words . I appreciate it, mr. President. As i told you last night shortly after the senate vote. I know i speak on behalf of the entire cabinet and millions of americans when i say congratulations and thank you. Thank you for seeing through the course of this year an agenda that truly is restoring this country. You described it very well, mr. President. From the outset of this administration, weve been rebuilding our military, putting the safety and security of the American People first. Youve restored american credibility on the world stage. Were standing with our allies, were standing up to our enemies. But you promised economic renewal at home. You said we could make this economy great again. And you promised to roll back regulations and you signed more bills rolling back federal red tape than any president in american history. Youve unleashed american energy. Youve spurred an optimism in this country thats setting records. But you promised the American People in that campaign a year ago that you would deliver historic tax cuts. It would be a middle class miracle. And in just a short period of time, that promise will be fulfilled. And i just im deeply humbled as your Vice President to be able to be here. Because of your leadership, mr. President , and because of the strong support of leadership in the congress of the United States, youre delivering on that middle class miracle. Youve actually got the congress to do, as you said, what they couldnt do with anwar for 40 years. Youve got the congress to do with tax cuts for working families in American Businesses what they havent been able to do for 31 years. And you got congress to do what they couldnt do for 7 years in repealing the individual mandate in obamacare. I know you would have me also acknowledge people around this table, mr. President. I want to thank the leaders in congress once again for their partnership in this. I want to thank your outstanding team, your secretary of the treasury, steven mnuchin, gary cohen, for ivanka trump, for your great legislative team. All the members of this cabinet who partnered to drive your Vision Forward over the past six months after you laid out that vision for tax reform. But mostly, mr. President , ill end where i began and just tell you, i want to thank you, mr. President. I want to thank you for speaking on behalf of and fighting every day for the forgotten men and women of america. Because of your determination, because of your leadership, the forgotten men and women of america are forgotten no more, and we are making America Great again. Thank you, that was very nice. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. I also want to thank all the members of the cabinet, and i think we have a fantastic team. And next year were going to go on to really some amazing things. Were going to were making ourselves very strong again, right, general . He was not so happy that first week when i met him. He was saying, its really depleted. Well, were building it up rapidly and well be at a level like never before. But the members of the cabinet, youve been outstanding. I like the message that nikki sent yesterday at the united nations. For all these nations that take our money and then vote against us at the security council, or they vote against us potentially at the assembly. They take hundreds and millions of dollars and then billions and say, were woecatching those vo. Let them vote against us. We dont care. But they spend hundreds of millions of dollars and nobody knows where it went. People are tired of the United States, the peo